


I Ate the Fruits of Forbidden Knowledge, Or Discovered the Hidden Truth

by ecto_gammat



Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, POV Second Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-09
Updated: 2011-09-09
Packaged: 2017-10-23 14:07:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/251140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ecto_gammat/pseuds/ecto_gammat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>War can be a cruel mistress.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Ate the Fruits of Forbidden Knowledge, Or Discovered the Hidden Truth

War can be a cruel mistress. She takes you from your homes, shoves you into impossible situations with impossible people, and then tears them from your life without so much as a goodbye.

War’s a bitch. Especially when those in charge don’t even have the stones to call it war.

But sometimes war can show you a love that you’d never have thought possible in any other circumstance. A love for your nurses that is sometimes nothing but physical. A love for your commanding officer that is nothing but utmost respect. A love for your fellow man that surpasses anything you’ve ever known before.

A love for your bunkmate that scares the hell out of you.

During a time of war, you should always know to expect the unexpected. You begin as friends and spend every waking moment together, and sometimes every un-waking moment (because of the nightmares, you tell yourself).

So it doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone but you when no one glances at you as you wander the camp arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand.

And only you are shocked when no one stares as you eat what they call food off each other’s plates.

And it’s just you that’s stunned when you pin him against the shelves in the supply tent, kissing him like he might not be there tomorrow, and he welcomes you with open arms.

Because with war, you never know.

Because when you come back from R&R and search the usual spots for him, only you are worried when you can’t find him.

Because when you decide to sober up with a clothed shower, you’re dismayed when he doesn’t come bounding in, ready to join you.

Because when you receive his goodbye message (a simple chaste kiss on the cheek, the bastard), you can’t imagine that it’s the truth.

Because you can’t fathom this disaster of a police action without him.

And as you storm into the office of the laughable commanding officer, your heart begins to break just a little more.

And when you commandeer the jeep to the airport, the hopeful idea that you might get a proper goodbye starts to falter.

And as you reach the airport, and discover that you’ve missed him by ten minutes, your spirit finally starts to slowly die.

Because if it wasn’t for that roadblock, you’d have made it in time.

Because if you had just pushed that shoddy excuse for a motor vehicle a little bit harder, you’d have made it in time.

Because, as you’re introduced to his replacement, you’ve convinced yourself that no one can replace him.

But as you drive back to camp, you start to think this new guy might not be so bad.

And maybe he’ll turn out alright in the end. You just might have found a friend in this devastating loss.

And maybe he’ll be that confidant you really need here.

And maybe you don’t really need to go at this alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Ljósfari by Sólstafir.


End file.
